text:
Honey Bee Venom (Apis mellifera) Contains Anticoagulation Factors and Increases the Blood-clotting Time
DOI : 10.3831/KPI.2015.18.031
Author: Zolfagharian Hossein, Mohajeri Mohammad, Babaie Mahdi
Publish: Journal of Pharmacopuncture Volume 18, Issue4, p7~11, Dec 2015
Bee venom (BV) is a complex mixture of proteins and contains proteins such as phospholipase and melittin, which have an effect on blood clotting and blood clots. The mechanism of action of honey bee venom (HBV, Apis mellifera) on human plasma proteins and its anti-thrombotic effect were studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-coagulation effect of BV and its effects on blood coagulation and purification.
Crude venom obtained from Apis mellifera was selected. The anti-coagulation factor of the crude venom from this species was purified by using gel filtration chromatography (sephadex G-50), and the molecular weights of the anti-coagulants in this venom estimated by using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Blood samples were obtained from 10 rabbits, and the prothrombin time (PT) and the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) tests were conducted. The approximate lethal dose (LD) values of BV were determined.
Crude BV increased the blood clotting time. For BV concentrations from 1 to 4 mg/mL, clotting was not observed even at more than 300 seconds, standard deviations (SDs) = ± 0.71; however, clotting was observed in the control group 13.8 s, SDs = ± 0.52. Thus, BV can be considered as containing anti-coagulation factors. Crude BV is composed 4 protein bands with molecular weights of 3, 15, 20 and 41 kilodalton (kDa), respectively. The LD50 of the crude BV was found to be 177.8 μg/mouse.
BV contains anti-coagulation factors. The fraction extracted from the Iranian bees contains proteins that are similar to anti-coagulation proteins, such as phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and melittin, and that can increase the blood clotting times in vitro.
anti-coagulants , bee venom , chromatography , LD50
Honey bee venom (HBV, Apis mellifera) is a bitter, colorless liquid, and its active portion contains a mixture of proteins that, cause local inflammation and act as anti-coagulants. HBV is a complex mixture of enzymes and polypeptides with low molecular weights, and it has been reported to contain the enzymes phospholipase A2 (PLA2), hyaluronidase, phosphomonoesterase acid esterase, α-D-glucosidase, lysopphospholipase, α-galactosidase, α-acetylamino-deosiglucosidase and arylamidase. The compositions of fresh and dried bee venom (BV) differ mainly in regards to the volatile components; however, the overall biological activities are similar [1].
Enzymes are proteins catalyzing specific reactions, and contains five enzymes. Polypeptides are smaller in molecular weight than enzymes and are made of two or more amino acids. BV also has numerous polypeptides, the main one being melittin, which is also the main component of BV and has many positive biological effects and a relatively low toxicity. Melittin has a molecular weight of 2,840 Daltons, but it can reach 12,500 Daltons because it can also be in a tetrameric form [2, 3].
BV also contains smaller quantities of low molecular compounds that are different in nature: amino acids, catecholamines, sugars and minerals. Sugars have been identified in some BV preparations, but if BV is collected with a collector to prevent the contamination by pollen and nectar, it does not contain carbohydrates [4].
The mast cell degranulating (MCD) peptide and PLA2 are the two most toxic components in BV. Individual BV components can be used to achieve definite biological effects, and due to its having different effects on the central and the peripheral nervous systems (PNS), BV can be used to treat patients with different heart conditions. Reports have been published on the use of BV to treat patients with different degenerative diseases of the nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease [5-7].
BV has also been reported to act against different types of cancers in cell and animal experiments [8]. However, no differences between the cancer incidences in normal humans and beekeepers have been reported [9]. Thus, melittin, a powerful anti-cancer peptide, might be a better choice than whole BV for treating various diseases. On the other hand, BV acupuncture and melittin have been used to control neuropathy caused by cancer chemotherapy [10, 11].
Because, most human deaths resulting from one or a few bee stings are due to allergic reactions, heart failure, or suffocation from swelling around the neck or the mouth, as compared with other human diseases, accidents and other unusual cases, deaths dues to bee stings are rare, indicating that BV is very safe for treating diseases in humans [12].
Lyophilized BV was prepared at the Venomous Animals Department, Razi Vaccine and Serum Institute, and was kept at — 20˚C. Sephadex G-50 was purchased from Pharmacia (Sweden). Calcium chloride (CaCl2) and protrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT) Kit products were purchased from Fisher Diagnostics (Germany). The other reagents and chemicals of analytical grade were purchased from Fluka and Merck.
Blood samples were extracted from 10 healthy young rabbits of both sexes with no history of blood disease. Blood samples from these rabbits were centrifuged for 15 minutes at 3,000 rpm. The obtained plasma was separated and was used for the PT and PTT testing.
Tissue thromboplastin was reconstituted according to instructions and was labeled with the time, date and initials of the technician. The thromboplastin reagent was stabile for seven days after reconstitution. The sample was allowed to sit 10 — 15 minutes and was than inverted gently several times. The reagents were mixed well prior to pipetting any of them reagent at any step in this procedure.
One to two mls of the tissue thromboplastin- CaCl2 reagent (PT reagent) was pipetted into a test tube, and the test tube placed into an incubator at 37˚C. The level of the thromboplastin was not allowed to exceed the height of the heat block. Normal rabbit plasm, 100 μL was poured into the test tubes and at least one minute was allowed for the plasma to reach 37˚C. Then, 200 μL of the PT reagent was poured into the tube containing the rabbit plasma, and simultaneously stop watch was started.
The solution in the tube was mixed and left in the heat block for a minimum of 7 — 8 seconds. It was then removed, and its exterior was wiped. The tube was then tilted back and forth gently until a visible clot formed. As the clot formed, the mixture began to gelatinize and turn cloudy. The stop watch was immediately stopped when the clot began to form, and the time in seconds was recorded [13].
A sufficient quantity of CaCl2 reagent was heated to 37˚C for the tests to be performed. Normal rabbit plasma, 100 μL, was poured into a labeled test tube, and 100 μL of partial thromboplastin reagent was added. The plasma/partial thromboplastin mixture was incubated at 37˚C for a minimum of three minutes, and CaCl2 100 μL, was forcefully added into the plasma/partial thromboplastin mixture; a stop watch was started immediately.
The mixture in the tube was stirred once after the calcium reagent had been added, and the tube was allowed to remain in the heat block for approximately 20 seconds while being stirred occasionally. After 20 seconds, the tube was removed from the water bath/heat block, and its outside was dried. The tube was then gently tilted back and forth until a visible clot formed, at which time the stop watch was immediately stopped and the time in seconds was recorded [13].
The concentrations of the proteins in the BV were measured by using the method of Lowry with bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the standard [14]. Standard curves were constructed by measuring the concentration of the BSA solution; then, the amounts of the proteins in the crude BV were obtained. In addition, 10 mg of BV were used to prepare samples with concentrations of 1 to 4 mg/mL. The samples with these concentrations were the used to assess the effect of BV on clotting with PT.
The lethal dose 50 (LD50) of the Iranian crude BV was determined in mice (18 to 20 g National Institutes of Health (NIH) strain; NIH mouse are albino outbred mice which were derived from a nucleus colony obtained from the NIH). The sample at each dose was prepared in physiological sterile serum and was injected into the mice. For the selection of an appropriate dose, several different doses were injected into two mice per dose up to lethality. The doses were then chosen so that for the first dose, no mice died, and for last dose, all animals died. When different doses were prepared for each sample, 2 mL of each dose (0.5 mL for each mouse) were intravenously into four mice. Then, the mortality of the mice was recorded for 24 hours. The LD50 values of each sample were calculated by using the Spearman-Karber Finney statistics [15].
The anti-coagulation factors from BV were purified by using chromatographic techniques. To separate the coagulation factor, we dissolved 300 mg of the crude BV in 4 mL of ammonium acetate buffer, which was then centrifuged for 15 minutes at 14,000 rpm. The impurities were removed by using a micro filter 0.45. The gel chromatography column was equilibrated by using 20 mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH 4.75). After the column had been equilibrated, the protein solution was applied on sephadex G-50 (3 × 200 cm); then, the column was eluted with the same buffer. The absorption of each fraction was read at 280 nm. All the fractions were dialyzed for 24 hours against distilled water and were concentrated at 4˚C. After concentration, the intensities of peaks were accurately measured. The PT test was done for peaks (fractions) with the same concentration and fractions that showed anti-coagulation activity were detected [16, 17].
To confirm the presence of coagulation and anti-coagulation activities, we performed PT tests with the same concentrations, 20 μg/mL, for the fractions obtained by using gel chromatography. For determining the molecular weight and the purity of the crude BV and the fractions obtained by using the gel chromatography technique, we performed sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) according to the method of Laemmli [18].
Analyses to determine the means, standard deviations (SDs) and P-values of the test data were performed using the software mini tab. P-value was calculated, and a P-value less than 0.05 was meaningful.
Comparing the coagulation time of normal plasma (without venom) with those obtained for different concentrations of BV, crude BV was found to increase the plasma clotting time. In other words, the venom prolonged the blood coagulation time, making this venom an anti-coagulant (Table 1). The amount of protein in crude BV solution was 3.6 mg/mL.
The values of the LD50 in all mice were determined for all samples. The samples were prepared at different doses. Each dose was injected intravenously into 40 mice. The numbers of dead mice within 24 hours were recorded for each dose. After the registration of deaths, the LD50 of each dose was determined by using the Spearman-Karber statistics method, which is as follows: M = × 100 ± d/n (Σr-n/2), d = log 1.25 = 0.097, d/n = 0.024 M = log LD50, × 100 = log 244 = 2.38 n = 4, Σr = 5, M = 2.38 + 0.121 = 2.25 LD50 = Antilog 2.25 = 177.8, LD50 = 177.8 μg
Using gel filtration chromatography, four fractions were obtained. These fractions were labeled F1 to F4. According to (Fig. 1), fractions F1 to F4 containing proteins from high to low molecular weight were extracted from the gel chromatography column. It seems that the fraction F1 contain hyaluronidase, F2 and F3 contains phospholipase and F4 contain melittin. Fraction F2 containing the highest amount of protein had the greatest absorbance (Fig. 1). With regard to the determination of the standard molecular weights of the protein bands, the exact locations of the crude BV proteins and their fractions were identified (Figs. 2,3). Crude venom has four pro-tein bands with molecular weights of 3, 15, 20 and 41 kilodalton (kDa). After chromatography, each fraction showed a single band.
The anti-coagulant property was determined by using PT tests on fractions F1 to F4. The coagulation times were obtained by adding fractions from the gel chromatography to the plasma of three healthy rabbits of each sex. The results are gathered in (Table 2). Although fractions F2, F3 and F4 had more anti-coagulation activity than F1, F1 also had some anti-coagulation activity. According to this method, if the time until coagulation occurs is increased compared to the control sample, then the anti-coagulation activity is increased.
This research offers an effective and repeatable method for separating the anti-coagulation factors in BV. Venom from bees in the family Apidae like Apis mellifera, is a rich source of new compounds that have applications in medicine and biochemistry [19], and BV from Iranian bees seen to be effective in delaying the clotting of blood. Coagulation tests, including PT tests, have shown that BV, in general, has anti-coagulation properties.
From the results of tests carried out on six samples, we can be concluded that all were normal, as the time for each was in the normal range when tested by using PT (10 — 14 seconds) and PTT (30 — 40 seconds).
To evaluate the anti-thrombotic properties of BV, we performed PT tests on plasma samples from four groups of 6 animals each (24 animals total), and the 4 groups received injections of BV with doses of 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg/mL, respectively. The average duration of the PT test in this case also highlights the anti-coagulation properties of the Iranian crude BV (PT = more than 300 seconds). Thus, the anti-coagulation factor BV has been proven.
The venoms of most stinging insects, including honey bees, consist of enzymes, protein, peptides, and a variety of smaller molecules. The pharmacological and biochemical activities of venoms from various stinging insects are remarkably convergent. Most venoms induce immediate pain, contain phosphlipases, hyaluronidase, and other enzymes, and are capable of destroying red blood cells [20]. The phospholipases derived from honey bees, yellow jackets, and fire ants have very different molecular weights: 16,000 for bees [21], about 31,000 for yellow jackets [22, 23], and 28,000 in the form of tow roughly equal subunits for fire ants [24].
Melittin is the principal active component of apitoxin (BV) and is a powerful stimulator of PLA2. So far, melittin is the best characterized peptide. It inhibits protein kinase C, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, has alkaline characteristics similar to those of other venom compounds, and seems to be the major compound responsible for intense local pain [25, 26]. It corresponds to 40% — 50% of the venom's dry weight, although this varies during aging [27]. Extensive work with melittin has shown that it has multiple effects, probably, as a result of its interaction with negatively-charged phospholipids.
Venoms from other Apis species are similar, but even the venoms from the various types within each species are slightly different from each other. The toxicity of Apis cerana venom has been reported to be twice as high as that of Apis mellifera [28].
BV contains pharmacologically important constituents. The important constituents present in BV are melittin, apamin, hyaluronidase, phospholipase and histamine. Melittin is considered to be the major constituent of BV.
The present study analyzed the venom of Apis mellifera with regard to anti-coagulation activities. Its anti-coagulation proteins were isolated and evaluated by using chromatographic methods. The fraction extracted from the Iranian bee contained protein similar to anti-coagulation proteins such as PLA2 and melittin, which are able to increase the blood clotting time in vitro.
In summary, bee products are very interesting and can either be developed further into medicinal products when they offer new and better treatment alternatives, or form the basis for the identification of new drugs that can be used according to the principles of pharmacology. In either case, much effort will be necessary in order to establish their position in modern medicine.
[Fig. 1] Sephadex G-50 chromatography of Apis mellifera venom.
[Fig. 2] SDS-PAGE of Apis mellifera crude venom.
[Fig. 3] SDS-PAGE of Apis mellifera fractions.
[Table. 1] PT values for different concentration of Apis mellifera crude venom
[Table. 2] PT value for fractions of Apis mellifera crude venom
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The Kreditech Group, a consumer finance technology group, has announced the completion of a $200 million credit facility from Victory Park Capital, a Chicago-based asset management firm focused on middle market debt and equity investments. The investment reflects investors' confidence in its big data credit-scoring technology and its data platform to serve the estimated 4.0 billion unbanked and underbanked individuals worldwide. This is considered the largest credit facility in fintech outside the US to date.
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Since its launch in February 2012, Kreditech's innovative technology has served two million consumers in eight countries. It is one of the fastest-growing companies in consumer finance technology in Europe with a lending run rate of $130 million. In June 2014, the Group closed a USD 40 million equity investment by Värde Partners at a $190 million valuation.
Recently, Victory Park Capital announced that it will invest up to £150 million in loans originated by Assetz Capital under a new five year contract. Assetz Capital is a peer-to-peer lending platform that combines traditional loan underwriting with financial technology to efficiently provide capital to small and medium-sized companies in the U.K.
This entry was posted in Offerings and tagged chicago, gordon watson, kreditech, rene griemens, victory park capital. Bookmark the permalink.


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text:
package org.apache.ecs.html;

import org.apache.ecs.*;

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We will assume you already have OpenSSH installed. It comes installed by default with most Linux distributions. If you are using Windows, try Windows Subsystem for Linux.
It can be tedious to configure all of the options using command-line flags, so the SSH config file allows you to set settings for different hosts and access them using a convenient alias.
We will look at an example configuration in the next section.
# Another local forward example.
# via a local listener that listens on localhost:9999.
# machine/network available to the remote server.
scp -o ProxyJump=myjumphost devdungeon.com:file.txt .
You can reference aliases in the ProxyJump settings that are defined in the SSH config file, or specify it literally.
You should now have a solid grasp on how to configure your SSH client for extra convenience.


text:
5 mins read August 24, 2022 January 15, 2023 Posted bymerijn - 387 views
For the first time ever during the Amsterdam Canal Parade 2022, a pan-Asian boat, called the "Phoenix Rising", appeared. Even before the beginning of the parade, it had become clear why the presence of this particular boat was necessary; someone started to yell "Ni Hao" to the boat through a microphone.
Saturday August 6th was a revolutionary day: for the first time, a pan-Asian boat appeared in the Amsterdam canals during the Canal Pride.
The boat 'Phoenix Rising', showed the different and diverse Asian cultures within not only the Dutch queer community, but within the whole society of The Netherlands.
Someone with a queer Asian identity can be exposed to homo- and/or transphobia, and besides this they can also experience racism. Because of this, discrimination in both the queer and Asian communities is still apparent. This is exactly why a separate pan-Asian pride boat was needed to provide a safe and inclusive space for this group during the Canal Pride.
RACIST EXPRESSIONS
It was disappointing but not surprising that it became even more clear during this parade why this boat was needed. At the beginning of the parade, 'Phoenix rising' was docked in between various other parade boats. There were also several boats which belonged to the Pride Amsterdam foundation, the organiser of Pride, as well as the 'flyboarders' who were hired for entertainment. One of the boats that belonged to flyboarders, came closer to us, after which one of the people on their boat, kept yelling 'Ni-Hao' repeatedly to the pan-Asian boat. Even at events such as this, where the freedom and equity of the queer community is supposedly at the centre of importance, Asians have to deal with racist expressions. Once again, Asians were
depicted as 'different' which lead to an unsafe environment.
Photos: editorial office Asian Raisins
WHY IS IT RACIST TO SAY 'NI HAO' TO SOMEONE WITH AN EAST
OR SOUTHEAST ASIAN APPEARANCE?
In The Netherlands, there are countless different Asian communities. By yelling 'Ni-Hao', all of these groups are portrayed as if they are one. Based on someone's appearance, it is immediately assumed that they would speak Mandarin. It isolates the person (in this case a group of people) who is racially addressed and puts them apart from the rest of the group, labelling them as 'different'. Not only does this group have to deal with this particular remark all the time, but it can also cause them to feel unsafe. Many people with an East or Southeast Asian appearance are regularly intimidated on the streets by people who yell these exact words.
Racist white man - Photo: editorial office Asian Raisins
Pride Amsterdam is supposed to bear responsibility for the safety of all its participants. If an invitation to the parade does not include respect for the participants, it loses the parade's essence and value. The Pride Amsterdam foundation has been struggling with negligence for years when it comes to the integration of the intersectionality of organising pride week in Amsterdam. The criticism on the current execution of pride, which has been focused on commerciality lately, came to a peak this year. The township of Amsterdam has been imploring for a more inclusive pride for a while now, with emphasis on those with a bi-cultural background and those from the trans community. Sadly, Pride Amsterdam does not share the same opinion. The director of Pride Amsterdam, Lucien Spee, a white cisgender man, said that he did not want to put in any more effort to create space for 'marginalised groups' (NRC, 2022).
The deliberate ignorant attitude of the foundation has thus indisputably caused so many incidents, that it has become a pattern. To name a few examples: AVROTROS sent two white cis male presenters, who during the parade, with the theme 'my gender, my pride', announced Thorn de Vries using the incorrect pronouns. This was corrected later on. In addition, they went down the rabbit hole when they made a fatal mistake during the 'saint Nicholas gate'. You can find more information about this at the Instagram account from KOZP @KOZwartepiet. Moreover, there was little to no attention for those with a physical or mental disability. Both the visibility of, as well as the accessibility for this group at Pride events are poor. You can find more information about this on @feministsagainstableism.
For the Pride March, initially the 'De Roze Leeuw' foundation was invited, which is a conservative and transphobic LGB organisation. The invitation was withdrawn last minute because of harsh and well-deserved critiques. Pride has changed into a capitalist festivity, and has lost touch with her origins of being a protest in which Black trans women, sex workers and more marginalised groups were at the front line.
Currently, white middle class cishetero people and the commercialization of pride by businesses are the focus point of the protest. Because of this, Black Pride NL and Queer Network Amsterdam have been organising a more inclusive pride for a couple years.
Response Pride Amsterdam
After the incident, Asian Raisins had shared a story on their Instagram, which received a lot of attention. Some of the reactions we got were from those who were present at the Phoenix Rising boat. There has been contact with Pride Amsterdam, who told us that this concerned someone from a hired entertainment company. The man in question however, has indicated that he did not realise that it was racist to yell 'Ni-Hao', and that he was proud to be able to say something in 'Chinese'. He claimed to do this repeatedly because no one on the pan Asian boat reacted to him. Lucien Spee, director of Pride Amsterdam foundation, responded by saying that he was 'pained to have heard of this' and that he hopes that the positive feedback the boat received can overshadow this racist incident.
Asian Raisins finds this response frankly ridiculous. A recognition of the mistake, or any form of an apology from Pride Amsterdam, the hired entertainment company or the individual himself, seem to not come any time soon. Responsibility is not being taken, nor has anything been said about the organisation's approach to prevent incidents as such in the future. This was all able to take place during an event such as Pride, where a safe environment should be created for all the participants, especially LGBTQIA+ people of colour. As long as Pride Amsterdam is not able to create a safe environment for all its members and does not take away their focus of the white cis homosexual men, it may as well be abolished.
Lees ook 'LIDL UPDATE RACISTISCHE KROEPOEK VERPAKKINGEN'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Sony optimizes PS5 fans with online updates • TECH GAMING REPORT
Ebenezer Robbins October 19, 2020 2 min read
Sony says it will optimize the PlayStation 5's internal fans with an online update.
In an interview with 4Gamer.net With translation by ResetEra Yasuhiro Otori, vice president of mechanical design in the hardware design department of Sony Interactive Entertainment, and user orzkare, backed up by Japanese speaker John Linnemann, are about the operation of each acceleration processing unit (APU) by Sony. He said he would optimize fan control based on the data. game.
"In the future, various games will be released, and data on the operation of the APU in each game will be collected," said Mr. Otori. "There are plans to optimize fan control based on this data."
Sony's recent PS5 disassembled video Announced a double-sided intake fan with a diameter of 120 mm and a thickness of 45 mm. The console uses a temperature sensor inside the APU and three temperature sensors on the mainboard to control the speed of the fan. And it is these fan control parameters that Sony can tweak in the online update.
For example, if your game is heavily loaded for long periods of time, Sony can speed up its fans and make sure everything is cool, at the expense of quietness.
The PlayStation 4 has a reputation for being on the noisy side, and its fans can sound like an airport runway (anyway, my PS4 sounds so). Sony said the PS5 was designed for quietness, so hopefully things have improved in this regard.
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And here is an interesting word. Sony created a transparent model of the chassis, observed dry ice smoke flowing through the chassis, and read the temperature of each part of the system as engineers made improvements.
Now it sounds cool.
See also Early morning Briefing: SNY Not For Sale
Previous Mayor Dryden demands close of condition download
Next V4 offers a great dark fantasy MMO experience [Android Game of the Week]


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Assorted archival data tapes, vinyl and cassettes housed at Interlochen Public Radio.
Take a look into any basement in America. Squirrelled away among old toys, broken furniture and last season's clothing, most families have the odd antique or family heirloom.
Interlochen, too, has a basement full of antiques and heirlooms. Tucked under Interlochen Public Radio is a room full of acetate transcription discs, vinyl LPs, open-reel tapes and Digital Audio Tapes (DAT)—antiques by any audiophile's estimation. These same devices are also Interlochen's heirlooms, full of music and memories waiting to be decoded for modern audiences.
Like any antiques, however, Interlochen's heirlooms are subject to the wear and tear of age. Interlochen archivist Leo Gillis is racing the clock in an attempt to save these historic recordings from the scourge of time. In 2016, Interlochen received two grants on IPR's behalf to begin the process of digitizing Interlochen's recorded legacy: one from the Association of Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) and another from the Hamer D. and Phyllis C. Shafer Foundation.
"The big vision of the digitization project is to create a living archive and use these recordings as content to be shared," said Emily Culler, director of development for Interlochen Public Radio.
The two new grants are the continuation of a process begun before Gillis came to Interlochen in 2015. An earlier grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was used to catalog all the materials in IPR's archives. "Everything is ordered by date and barcoded, so we have a sense of what's there," said Culler.
The audio archives span nearly 80 years and four different recording media. Consistent with founder Joseph Maddy's vision, Interlochen Arts Camp began recording audio as early as the Camp's first performance in 1928 and broadcasting on national networks such as NBC and CBS. The earliest surviving recordings in the archives are a handful of 16-inch acetate transcription discs from the 1930s. The collection also includes 3,000 open-reel tapes, 1,500 DAT recordings, and thousands of LP records.
Due to the nature of DAT recordings, Gillis added, those that have already been corrupted will not be able to be restored and digitized.
The ARSC grant was focused on the other most at-risk medium: reel-to-reel tape recordings of historical classical performances. Interlochen began using reel-to-reel in 1955 and continued using them until switching to DAT in the 1990s. About 500 of the archive's 3,000 reel-to-reel tapes precede the advent of IPR in 1963. IPR used the ARSC grant to hire two audio engineers for eight weeks each to digitize the reel-to-reel tapes. The tapes can only be transferred in real time, meaning that a 45-minute tape takes about an hour to transfer. The process could have been much longer, however, as Gillis explained.
Culler noted that, once digitized, all recordings need to be electronically cataloged, tagged with metadata, and checked for copyright infringement, all of which adds to the duration of the process.
DAT and reel-to-reel tapes are only the beginning of the digitization process; Gillis also hopes to digitize the recordings stored on LP records and acetate transcription discs in the future.


The Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division) was formed from elements of Task Force Oregon in Chu Lai, Southern First Corps, Republic of South Vietnam on 26 September 1967. The division, although designated as the 23rd Infantry Division, was most often referred to as the Americal Division in keeping with its jungle fighting lineage from World War II.
AMERICAL magazine- The Americal Division published a magazine with the title AMERICAL once each quarter beginning May 1968. The division was activated from Task Force Oregon in September 1967 and was deactivated in November 1971. An index of AMERICAL issues by month of publication is available below.
DTOC Logs- The Americal Division recorded the minute-by-minute activities of the units in the division in a log (journal) at the Division Tactical Operations Center (DTOC) in Chu Lai. Photocopies of DTOC logs were obtained by ADVA Vietnam Historian Les Hines and other historical researchers. Credit is due for the tremendous effort by Bruce Flaherty and Larry Swank in obtaining the Division TOC reports from the National Archives as well as the equally daunting efforts of the team headed by Conrad Geibel and John Boyer. They spent years of effort before we could get to this point (100% done as of August 1, 2018).
Americal Division News Sheets - Beginning in May 1968 the Americal Division published numerous news sheets and distributed them to members of the division. The news sheets were published under the name Southern Cross. A selection of these news sheets are now available for your your viewing.


– Most cars are meant to have several occupants, usually with 4 or five seats. Automobiles with 5 seats commonly seat two passengers while in the front and a few while in the rear. Whole-sizing cars and huge sport utility automobiles can frequently carry six, seven, or even more occupants dependant upon the arrangement from the seats. On the flip side, sports cars are most frequently created with only two seats. The differing needs for passenger capability as well as their luggage or cargo Room has resulted in The provision of a large a number of overall body variations to fulfill particular person client prerequisites that come with, among the Other folks, the sedan/saloon, hatchback, station wagon/estate, and minivan.
According to research performed by Julian Allwood in the College of Cambridge, world energy use can be closely reduced through the use of lighter cars and trucks, and a mean pounds of five hundred kg (1,100 lb) is said to generally be nicely achievable. In some competitions including the Shell Eco Marathon, typical auto weights of 45 kg (99 lb) have also been accomplished. These cars are only single-seaters (still falling within the definition of a vehicle, Even though four-seater cars are more prevalent), but they Nonetheless demonstrate the quantity by which automobile weights could continue to be reduced, and the next lessen fuel use (i.e. as many as a gasoline usage of 2560 km/l).
The automotive marketplace types, develops, manufactures, marketplaces, and sells the planet's motor automobiles. In 2008, a lot more than 70 million motor autos, which include vehicles and industrial cars had been produced around the world.
, In 2007, a total of seventy one.9 million new automobiles had been sold around the world: 22.9 million in Europe, 21.four million while in the Asia-Pacific Region, 19.4 million from the USA and Canada, 4.4 million in Latin The united states, 2.four million in the center East and 1.four million in Africa. The markets in North The usa and Japan were being stagnant, whilst People in South The united states and various aspects of Asia grew strongly. Of the foremost marketplaces, China, Russia, Brazil and India observed quite possibly the most swift progress.
. About 250 million autos are in use in America. World wide, there were about 806 million automobiles and light vans around the street in 2007; they burn up over 260 billion US gallons (980,000,000 m3) of gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The figures are rising quickly, specifically in China and India. Within the feeling of some, urban transport methods based mostly within the car have proved unsustainable, consuming excessive Electrical power, impacting the well being of populations, and providing a declining degree of provider despite growing investments. Numerous of these adverse impacts slide disproportionately on Individuals social groups who are also minimum more likely to possess and travel autos. The sustainable transport motion focuses on remedies to these problems.
In 2008, with quickly mounting oil price ranges, industries such as the automotive marketplace, are suffering from a mix of pricing pressures from Uncooked material charges and adjustments in purchaser obtaining habits. The sector is likewise experiencing expanding exterior Opposition from the public transportation sector, as shoppers re-Examine their non-public vehicle usage. About fifty percent with the US's fifty-a person light auto crops are projected to completely shut in the approaching many years, Along with the lack of A further 200,000 Work in the sector, along with the 560,000 Employment lost this ten years. Combined with sturdy advancement in China, in 2009, this resulted in China turning into the most important vehicle producer and sector on the planet. China 2009 income had increased to 13.6 million, a significant enhance from one million of domestic car or truck profits in 2000. Given that then having said that, even in China as well as other BRIC international locations, the automotive creation is once again slipping.
. Cars and trucks are generally equipped with numerous types of lights. These consist of headlights, that happen to be utilized to light up the way in advance and make the car noticeable to other people, so that the car can be employed in the evening; in certain jurisdictions, daytime working lights; crimson brake lights to indicate when the brakes are applied; amber transform sign lights to point the change intentions of the driver; white-coloured reverse lights to light up the realm behind the car (and indicate that the motive force are going to be or is reversing); and on some automobiles, added lights (e.g., facet marker lights) to raise the visibility of the car. Interior lights within the ceiling of the car tend to be equipped for the motive force and travellers. Some motor vehicles even have a trunk light and, more hardly ever, an motor compartment gentle.


It is only a matter of two weeks from now when the highly anticipated OnePlus 6T will be unveiled.
In the past few months, there have been leaks upon leaks confirming the arrival of the next OnePlus device. If you could remember , we got our hands on the document detailing the certification by EEC. Right after that time, the device hS been leaked severally.
Just last week there was a hands-on images showing the OnePlus 6T. The leaked image has a striking resemblage to the Oppo R17 Pro. Since both OnePlus and Oppo are managed by BBK, it is no surprise the design of the OnePlus 6T is modelled towards the Oppo R17 pro.
The latest leak comes courtesy WinFuture's Roland Quandt, from what we can use the OnePlus 6T will boast an all-screen design similar to the Oppo R17. It will come with a tiny notch at the top for the selfie cam, an in-display Fingerprint scanner, dual rear cameras at the back complemented with LED flash.
According to OnePlus CEO, the the upcoming OnePlus 6T won't have a 3.5mm headphone jack, which will be the first time a OnePlus device will be omitting such an important component .
Carl Pei has opined that the absence of the headphone jack will allow OnePlus to improve battery life on the phone, and a recent leak already revealed the handset will rock a 3,700 mAh battery, or 400 mAh more than the OnePlus 6's battery.
The OnePlus 6T will be similar to the OnePlus 6 in terms of hardware so a Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and at least up to 256GB is expected.
The Oneplus 6T will be unveiled on October 17th, and launch it in several markets in the following weeks.


Trained staff will still find it difficult to keep up with their productivity levels in the ICD-10 world. The more codes, the more time it will take to properly code and provide the sufficient documentation. For those who are untrained, it could take even longer as staff will scramble in the live environment of which many claims may still end up denied.


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Posts Tagged railroads
Winter Railroading Was No Holiday
December 8, 2021 Archive Insight
For many 19th-century railroaders, holidays were workdays like any other. / THF286590
As we gather with family and friends to celebrate the holidays this year, many of us will enjoy a day (or several days) away from the job. But for our essential workers, time off may not be an option. For those who do the daily work that makes modern life possible, a holiday is just another day. In the mid-19th century, the railroader was America's preeminent essential worker. (Don't get me wrong—railroaders are still essential workers in the early 21st century, but their industry isn't as prominent in today's culture.) Trains had to roll, tracks had to be kept clear, and freight had to move—no matter what the calendar said.
The railroad's timetable was gospel, holiday or not. / THF203346
Mainline railroading was a 24/7 operation. It was possible to shutter most operations at a roundhouse for a day, and railroads could cancel the local trains that served nearby industries, but longer-distance through freight and passenger trains had to keep moving. Stop a train somewhere and you block that track—and all the other trains that need to use it. Before long, the whole system grinds to a halt. (Today's passenger airlines experience the same problem when bad weather shuts down a hub airport. Delays cascade throughout the entire network. But airlines can "reset" each night when far fewer flights operate. That's an advantage railroads have never enjoyed.)
Conductors, engineers, fireman, brakemen, and others often spent their holidays either out on the line or bunking in a railroad dormitory far from home, waiting for their next run. And there might be miserable weather to contend with too. In northern states, December meant cold and snow. Consider the plight of a mid-19th-century brakeman. In the days before George Westinghouse's air brake, the only way to stop a train was to manually set the individual handbrakes on each car. When the engineer gave the signal, brakemen had to scramble along the roofs of the railcars and spin the iron wheels that applied those brakes. It was a dangerous job in fair weather, but it could be deadly when ice and snow made everything slippery. On a windy night, a brakeman might be blown off into a snowbank below—where he hoped his crewmates noticed his absence before the train went too far.
The firebox kept a locomotive's cab warm throughout the year—a decided advantage in winter. / THF286564
For the engineer and fireman in the locomotive cab, life was somewhat better. They stayed warm even through the coldest winter days due to the heat from the locomotive's firebox. (There were surely more than a few enginemen who preferred the cold to sweltering summer days, when cab temperatures were hellish.) But there were still challenges. Snow and ice on the rails required extra skill to keep the locomotive's wheels from spinning when climbing a long grade. Falling snow obscured the track ahead, making it difficult to see signal lights and lanterns—or an unexpected stopped train.
Polished passenger cars were aesthetically pleasing. They were also highly combustible, should the coal stove (at lower left) tip over in an accident. / THF176785
Riders on passenger trains also stayed out of the weather, but even they had their struggles. Wooden passenger cars were drafty. In the mid-19th century, heat came from a single coal stove in each car. Inevitably, those seated far from the stove shivered, while those seated nearest to it sweated. Given that cars of this period were heavily varnished and trimmed with any number of flammable fabrics and surfaces, coal stoves also posed a serious fire hazard.
Two of America's worst railroad disasters involved December fires. On December 18, 1867, an eastbound express train derailed while crossing a bridge near Angola, New York. The last car plummeted off the bridge and its stove came apart, scattering hot coals over the wreckage. Forty-nine people are believed to have died in the wreck—most of them burned in the resulting inferno. Newspapers referred to the carnage as the "Angola Horror."
Nine years later, another bridge-fire accident occurred at Ashtabula, Ohio. On December 29, 1876, a faulty bridge collapsed under the Pacific Express as the train headed west. This time, 11 passenger cars fell into the chasm and an estimated 92 people lost their lives. Some were killed in the crash itself, but others succumbed to the fire ignited by spilled coals and fueled by wooden wreckage. The "Ashtabula Horror" exceeded that of Angola and would remain America's deadliest railroad accident for more than 40 years.
Clearing snow was the most backbreaking task on the railroad in winter. / THF120726
Trains didn't go anywhere if the track was blocked, so in snowstorms track crews battled fiercely against falling and drifting snow to keep the way clear. Brute force and backbreaking effort were their best tools. Large plows, pushed by powerful locomotives, threw snow clear of the right-of-way. When the crew encountered a particularly deep or stubborn blockage, there was little choice but to back the plow up for some distance, then open the throttle and hit the drift hard and fast. With luck, the plow pushed through and continued on its way, or at least made a sizeable dent before another try. The worst-case scenario had the plow stuck so deep into a drift that it couldn't be extracted. When that happened, crew members simply had to shovel it, however long it took. Powerful rotary plows—essentially, snowblowers for railroad track—made the job easier when they arrived in the 1880s, but these expensive machines were generally only used on mountain railroads in the American West.
By any measure, winter on the railroad was a miserable season.
Artist (and automotive designer) Virgil Exner captured a more romantic vision of winter railroading in this painting from about 1970. / THF36304
Later in the 20th century, as working conditions and passenger safety improved, and as steel coaches and steam heat replaced wooden cars with coal stoves, the railroad found a happier place in our holiday culture. Trains became synonymous with trips back home to visit loved ones, and electric train sets became staples under the Christmas tree—whether as gifts or as decorations. More recently, popular movies like The Polar Express have continued the trend. It may be that there were no holidays on the railroad, but it's equally true that our holidays wouldn't be what they are today without it.
Matt Anderson is Curator of Transportation at The Henry Ford.
holidays, trains, winter, travel, railroads, by Matt Anderson
Sidney Houghton: The Fair Lane Rail Car and the Engineering Laboratory Offices
November 3, 2021 Archive Insight
In my last blog post, I discussed how Sidney Houghton (1872–1950), a British interior designer and interior architect, met and befriended Henry Ford during World War I and, following the war, became part of the Fords' inner circle.
The Benson Ford Research Center at The Henry Ford holds significant correspondence, designs, and records relating to commissions between Houghton and Henry and Clara Ford. Probably the single document that details the variety of Ford commissions associated with Houghton is a brochure, more of a portfolio of projects, published by Houghton in the early 1930s, to promote his design firm.
Cover of Houghton brochure. / THF121214
From Houghton's reference images, we can document many commissions that no longer survive, as well as provide background for some that are still do. This post centers on two projects, the Fair Lane rail car and Henry and Edsel Ford's offices in the Ford Engineering Laboratory, which still exist. Fortunately, aspects of both still exist in The Henry Ford's collection!
The Fair Lane Rail Car
The Fair Lane rail car. / THF80274
Edsel and Eleanor Ford, Henry and Clara Ford, and Mina and Thomas Edison pose on the car's rear platform about 1923. / THF97966
Images of the Fair Lane rail car from Houghton brochure. / THF121225a
The Fair Lane rail car was built by the Pullman Rail Car Company in Pullman, Illinois, and delivered to Henry and Clara Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, in summer 1921. A detailed history and background on the rail car by Matt Anderson, The Henry Ford's Curator of Transportation, can be found here.
Sidney Houghton was responsible for creating the interiors and furnishings for the car. Many sources state that he worked with Clara Ford on the designs. What is likely is that Clara Ford approved or disapproved of Houghton's design work. This is especially evident in the public rooms of the rail car—what Houghton called the "dining saloon" and the "observation parlour."
Dining saloon in 1921. / THF148009
The same view in 2021. / THF186285
Glassware storage. / THF186283
The dining room walls are paneled in dark walnut, with veneered elements of mahogany. The effect suggests a richly appointed room from which to view the passing scenery. The styles that Houghton employed, and Clara Ford approved, derived from a combination of eighteenth-century English classical styles, including the caned and oval-backed side chairs and the elegantly carved three-quarter relief columns around the walls. China and glassware were stored in built-in units fitted with slots or pegs to keep the objects from shifting during travel.
The observation saloon in 1921. / THF148015
Detail of the observation saloon. / THF186263
What Houghton called the "observation saloon" was where passengers would spend their days while traveling. It was fitted out with sets of upholstered armchairs below the windows and a slant front desk and bookcase against the inner wall. This was an extremely useful piece of furniture; while at the desk, you could read or write correspondence, and when done, store your letters in one of the many drawers in the desk. The upper case allowed plenty of room to store books and other reading materials. Dials above the door to the observation platform displayed the miles per hour, the time, and the outdoor temperature.
As you can see in the recent photographs, over time the painted woodwork in this room was stripped and refinished. Also, the wonderful slant front desk and original light fixtures have not survived. Fortunately, after the Fords sold the rail car in 1942, a subsequent owner lovingly restored the interior, including reproducing much of the furniture, before donating it to The Henry Ford.
The Ford Engineering Laboratory Offices
In the early 1920s, Henry Ford commissioned his favorite architect, Albert Kahn, to design what Ford called his Engineering Laboratory in Dearborn. Completed in 1923, this building came to be the heart of the Ford Motor Company enterprise. Both Henry and his son, Edsel, had offices in the building, and Henry commissioned Sidney Houghton to design identical furniture and woodwork for each. Both offices survive, as does most of the furniture, which is now in the collections of The Henry Ford. Of all of Houghton's projects for the Fords, it is the best preserved.
Henry Ford's office in 1923. / THF237704
Edsel Ford's office (top) and Henry Ford's office (bottom) from Houghton brochure. / THF121221a
In looking at the offices, one thing comes to mind: they were designed to impress. Like the rail car, they are paneled in rich walnut, with matching walnut furniture. Both have large conference tables; Henry's is round, while Edsel's is rectangular.
Conference table used in Edsel Ford's office. / THF158754
The chairs and tables all feature heavy, turned, and curved legs, known as cabriole legs. They are also inlaid with woods with their grains carefully arranged to their fullest and most luxurious effect.
Desk chair. / THF158365
Armchair. / THF158349
Easy chair. / THF158367
Sofa. / THF158750
The style of this furniture is English Jacobean, deriving from forms used in the seventeenth century. The intent with this furniture was to show off wealth and good taste—as befit a person of Henry Ford's status.
Console table. / THF158371
This console table, seen in the photograph behind Henry Ford's desk, is inlaid with matched veneers along the drawer front and handles in the shapes of shells. The elaborately turned legs, which look like upside down trumpets, are characteristic of the Jacobean style in England. Combined with the cabriole legs on the chairs, Houghton has mixed and matched English furniture styles here in what decorative arts historians call an eclectic fashion.
Tall Case Clock, works by Waltham Clock Company. / THF158743
If the rest of the office furniture was meant to impress, the tall case clock takes it over the top. Henry Ford was known for his love of clocks and watches. This piece was undoubtedly something that he was proud to possess and show off to guests in his office.
We know from documents that Henry Ford rarely used his office. He preferred to be out in the field visiting with employees or, in later years, in Greenfield Village. Consequently, the furniture shows little signs of wear. Further, there are few photographs of Henry Ford in his office, other than those taken in 1923 when it was newly installed.
Taken two years after Henry Ford's death in 1947, this image shows how he used the office.
Henry Ford by Edward Pennoyer, 1931. / THF174088
On the wall behind the desk is a painting by artist Edward Pennoyer, used as an illustration for a 1931 advertisement. Henry Ford undoubtedly liked the image of himself with the Quadricycle, his first automobile, and hung it behind his desk.
Photograph of Henry Ford with Lord Halifax, to Henry Ford's right, surrounded by unknown figures, November 1941. / THF240734
Henry Ford with Lord Halifax, November 1941. / THF241506
Only three photographs survive of Henry Ford in his office. All date to November 1941, when the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, visited Henry Ford and toured the Rouge Factory. Guests to the Engineering Laboratory were almost always photographed outside the building or in the adjacent Henry Ford Museum or Greenfield Village.
The third photograph above shows another work of art in the office. The landscape shows Henry Ford's Wayside Inn, in South Sudbury, Massachusetts, purchased in 1923. This, of course, was a place near and dear to Henry Ford, and helped him to realize his goal of creating Greenfield Village.
As we can see, Sidney Houghton was close to Henry and Clara Ford, designing Henry's office and the Fair Lane rail car intimate environment, used on a very regular basis. In the next blog post, I will look at the most intimate of the Fords' interiors—their Fair Lane Estate, onto which Houghton put his own influence during the first half of the 1920s.
Charles Sable is Curator of Decorative Arts at The Henry Ford. Thanks to Sophia Kloc, Office Administrator for Historical Resources at The Henry Ford, for editorial preparation assistance with this post.
decorative arts, Sidney Houghton, railroads, Michigan, Henry Ford, furnishings, Ford Motor Company, Fair Lane railcar, Edsel Ford, design, Dearborn, by Charles Sable
There's Only One Greenfield Village
August 30, 2021 Archive Insight
Greenfield Village map, 1951. / THF133294
Greenfield Village may just look like a lot of buildings to some, but each building tells stories of people. When I wrote The Henry Ford Official Guidebook, it really hit me how unique and one-of-a-kind Greenfield Village is. I wanted to share several stories I found particularly interesting about Greenfield Village.
Researching Building Stories
Whenever we research a Village building, we usually start with archival material—looking at sources like census records, account books, store invoices (like the one below, related to Dr. Howard's Office), and old photographs—to give us authentic accounts about our subjects' lives. Here are some examples.
1881 invoice for Dr. Howard. / THF620460
At Daggett Farmhouse, Samuel Daggett's account book showed that he not only built houses but also dug stones for the community schoolhouse; made shingles for local people's houses; made chairs, spinning wheels, coffins, and sleds; and even pulled teeth! If you are interested in learning more about how our research influenced the interpretation at Daggett, along with four other Village buildings, check out this blog post.
Daggett Farmhouse, photographed by Michelle Andonian. / THF54173
For Dr. Howard's Office, we looked at old photographs, family reminiscences, the doctor's daily record of patients and what he prescribed for them, his handwritten receipt (recipe) book of remedies, and invoices of supplies and dried herbs he purchased. You can read more about the history of Dr. Alonson Howard and his office in this blog post.
Page from Dr. Howard's receipt book. / THF620470
For J.R. Jones General Store, we used a range of primary sources, from local census records to photographs of the building on its original site (like the one below) to account books documenting purchases of store stock from similar general stores. You can read more about the history of J.R. Jones General Store in this blog post.
Photo of J.R. Jones General Store on its original site. / THF255033
Urbanization and Industrialization Seen through Greenfield Village Buildings
Many Greenfield Village buildings were acquired because of Henry Ford's interests. But some give us the opportunity to look at larger trends in American life, especially related to urbanization and industrialization.
Engelbert Grimm sold clocks and watches to Detroit-area customers, including Henry Ford, in the 1880s. But Grimm Jewelry Store also demonstrates that in an increasingly urban and industrial nation, people were expected to know the time and be on time—all the time.
Grimm Jewelry Store in Greenfield Village. / THF1947
Related to this, notice the public clock in the Detroit Publishing Company photograph below of West 23rd Street, New York City, about 1908. (Clue: Look down the street, above the horse-drawn carriage, and you'll see a large street clock on a stand.) You can read more about the emergence of "clock time" in this blog post.
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Smiths Creek Depot is here because of its connection with Thomas Edison. But this building also shows us that railroad depots at the time were more than simply the place to catch a train—they were also bustling places where townspeople connected with the outside world. Below you can see a photo of Smiths Creek in Greenfield Village, as well asthe hustle and bustle of railroad depots in a wonderful image of the Union Pacific Depot in Cheyenne, Wyoming, from about 1910.
Smiths Creek Depot in Greenfield Village. / THF1873
Union Pacific Depot. / THF204972
Henry Ford brought Sarah Jordan Boarding House to Greenfield Village because it was home to many of Thomas Edison's workers. It was also one of three residences wired for Edison's new electrical lighting system in December 1879—and it is the only one still in existence. In the bigger picture, the mushrooming of boarding houses at this time was particularly due to a shortage of affordable housing in the growing urban-industrial centers, which were experiencing a tremendous influx of new wage laborers.
Sarah Jordan Boarding House in Greenfield Village. / THF2007
Sarah Jordan Boarding House on its original site in Menlo Park, New Jersey, in 1879. / THF117242
Luther Burbank and Henry Ford
Other buildings in Greenfield Village have strong ties to Henry's personal relationships. Henry Ford met horticulturalist Luther Burbank in connection with the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. That year, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and a few other companions traveled there to attend Edison Day. Luther Burbank welcomed them to the area.
Panama-Pacific International Exposition Souvenir Medal. / THF154006
Afterward, the group followed Burbank up on an invitation to visit him at his experimental garden in Santa Rosa, California. Edison and Ford had a grand time there. Burbank later wrote, "The ladies said we acted like three schoolboys, but we didn't care."
Thomas Edison, Luther Burbank, and Henry Ford at Burbank's home in Santa Rosa, California. / THF126337
After that visit, the original group, plus tire magnate Harvey Firestone, drove by automobile to the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego. During that trip, Edison proposed a camping trip for Ford, Firestone, and himself. The Vagabonds camping trips, taking place over the next nine years, were born!
"Vagabonds" camping trip. / THF117234
Henry Ford was so inspired by Luther Burbank's character, accomplishments, and "learning by doing" approach that he brought to Greenfield Village a modified version of the Luther Burbank Birthplace and a restored version of the Luther Burbank Garden Office from Santa Rosa.
Luther Burbank Garden Office in Greenfield Village. / THF1887
Greenfield Village Buildings and World's Fair Connections
Greenfield Village has several other direct connections to World's Fairs of the 1930s. At Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition of 1933–1934, for example, an "industrialized American barn" with soybean exhibits later became the William Ford Barn in Greenfield Village.
In a striking Albert Kahn–designed building, Ford Motor Company boasted the largest and most expensive corporate pavilion of the same Chicago fair. It drew some 75% of visitors to the fair that year. After the fair, the central part of this building was transported from Chicago to Dearborn, where it became the Ford Rotunda. It was used as a hospitality center until it burned in a devastating fire in 1962.
Ford at the Fair Brochure, showing the building section that would eventually become the Ford Rotunda. / THF210966
Ford Rotunda in Dearborn after a 1953 renovation. / THF142018
At the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936, a model soybean oil extractor was demonstrated. This imposing object is now prominently displayed in the Soybean Lab Agricultural Gallery in Greenfield Village.
A presenter at the Texas Centennial Exposition demonstrates how the soybean oil extraction process works with a model of a soybean oil extractor that now resides in the Soybean Lab in Greenfield Village. / THF222337
At the 1939 New York World's Fair, Henry Ford promoted his experimental school system in a 1/3-scale version of Thomas Edison's Menlo Park Machine Shop in Greenfield Village. Students made model machine parts and demonstrated the use of the machines.
Boys from Henry Ford's Edison Institute Schools operate miniature machine replicas in a scale model of the Menlo Park Machine Shop during the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. / THF250326
Village Buildings That Influenced Famous Men
Several people whose stories are represented in Greenfield Village were influenced by the places in which they grew up and worked, like the Wright Brothers, shown below on the porch of their Dayton, Ohio, home, now the Wright Home in the Village, around 1910.
In addition to practicing law in Springfield, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln traveled to courthouses like the Logan County Courthouse in Greenfield Village to try court cases for local folk. The experiences he gained in these prepared him for his future role as U.S. president (read more about this in this "What If" story).
Enterprising young Tom Edison took a job as a newsboy on a local railway, where one of the stops was Smiths Creek Station. This and other experiences on that railway contributed to the man Thomas Edison would become—curious, entrepreneurial, interested in new technologies, and collaborative.
Young Thomas Edison as a newsboy and candy butcher. / THF116798
Henry Ford, the eldest of six children, was born and raised in the farmhouse pictured below, now known as Ford Home in Greenfield Village. Henry hated the drudgery of farm work. He spent his entire life trying to ease farmers' burdens and make their lives easier.
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Henry J. Heinz
Henry J. Heinz (the namesake of Heinz House in Greenfield Village) wasn't just an inventor or an entrepreneur or a marketing genius: he was all of these things. Throughout the course of his career, he truly changed the way we eat and the way we think about what we eat.
H.J. Heinz, 1899. / THF291536
Beginning with horseradish, Heinz expanded his business to include many relishes and pickles—stressing their purity and high quality at a time when other processed foods did not share these characteristics. The sample display case below highlights the phrase "pure food products."
Heinz Sample Display Case. / THF174348
Heinz had an eye for promotion and advertising unequaled among his competitors. This included signs, billboards, special exhibits, and, as shown below, the specially constructed Heinz Ocean Pier, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which opened in 1898.
Advertising process photograph showing Heinz Ocean Pier. / THF117096
The pickle pin, for instance, was a wildly successful advertising promotion. Heinz first offered a free pickle-shaped watch fob at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. At some point, a pin replaced the watch fob, and the rest is history!
Heinz Pickle Pin "Heinz Homestyle Soups." / THF158839
By the time of H.J. Heinz's death in 1919, his company had grown into one of the largest food processing businesses in the nation. His company was known for its innovative food processing, packaging, advertising, and enlightened business practices. You can learn more about Heinz House and its journey to Greenfield Village here.
Even More Fun Facts about Greenfield Village Buildings
Most of the time, we focus on big themes that tell American history in relatable ways. When we choose a theme to focus on, we inevitably leave out interesting little-known facts. For example, Cohen Millinery was a dry goods store, a candy store, a Kroger grocery, and a restaurant during its lifetime!
Cohen Millinery at its original site. / THF243213
Surprisingly, for most of its life prior to its incorporation into Greenfield Village, Logan County Courthouse was a private residence. Many different families had lived there, including Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Watkins, the last caretakers before Henry Ford acquired the building. They are depicted below, along with an interior shot of one of their rooms when Henry Ford's agents went to look at the building.
Mr. and Mrs. Watkins. / THF238624
Interior of Logan County Courthouse at its original site. / THF238596
In the 1820s, eastern Ohio farmers realized huge profits from the fine-grade wool of purebred Merino sheep. But by the 1880s, competition had made raising Merino sheep unprofitable. Benjamin Firestone, the previous owner of Firestone Farmhouse and father of Harvey Firestone, however, stuck with the tried and true. Today, you can visit our wrinkly friends grazing one of several pastures in the Village.
Merino sheep at Firestone Farm in Greenfield Village in 2014. / THF119103
We have several different breeds of animals at the Village, but some of our most memorable were built, not bred. The Herschell-Spillman Carousel is a favorite amongst visitors. Many people think that all carousel animals were hand-carved. But the Herschell-Spillman Company, the makers of our carousel, created quantities of affordable carousel animals through a shop production system, using machinery to rough out parts. You can read more on the history of our carousel in this blog post.
And there you have it! Remember, odd and anachronistic as it might seem at times—the juxtaposed time periods, the buildings from so many different places, the specific people highlighted—there's only one Greenfield Village!
Presenters at Daggett Farmhouse. / THF16450
Donna R. Braden is Senior Curator and Curator of Public Life at The Henry Ford. Many thanks to Sophia Kloc, Office Administrator for Historical Resources at The Henry Ford, for editorial preparation assistance with this post.
#THFCuratorChat, Wright Brothers, world's fairs, Thomas Edison, research, railroads, Luther Burbank, Logan County Courthouse, J.R. Jones General Store, Henry Ford, Heinz, Greenfield Village buildings, Greenfield Village, Ford Motor Company, farm animals, Dr. Howard's Office, Daggett Farmhouse, Cohen Millinery, by Donna R. Braden, archives, agriculture, Abraham Lincoln
Behind the Scenes: Photographing the Interior of the Fair Lane Railroad Car
These days, most people may not be familiar with the interior of a rail car, let alone set foot inside one that is 100 years old. For those of you who have never been inside a railcar, it is very tight quarters—both for people and also for photography equipment and lights. So, when photographer Rudy Ruzicska and myself were tasked with getting new images of the interior of the 1921 Fair Lane, Henry Ford's private railroad car (now located in the Railroads exhibit in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation), we knew we were going to have to get creative—and close!
Photographer Rudy Ruzicska setting up lights for our first exterior shot of the railcar…
…and the final shot. / THF186261
We knew that this was going to be a challenge, but a fun one. The largest rooms were at the front and the back of the car, with narrow hallways and small bedrooms between—and even smaller bathrooms! We captured as many angles as we could within such small spaces.
Rudy again, setting up lights for our first interior shot of the lounge….
…one of the resulting shots…. / THF186262
…and another final shot. / THF186264
Digital Imaging Specialist Jillian Ferraiuolo (me!) setting up the shot of the hallway…
…and the final image. / THF186265
Jillian again, setting up the shot of the office…
For most photos, we use a Canon 5D Mark III camera tethered to a MacBook laptop. While we did use that camera for this photo shoot, we knew we would need something with a wider range to capture the small rooms. A fisheye lens is very convex, and because of that shape it allows the camera to capture a larger area. While these lenses are great, their downside is the distortion they create because of the curve of the glass. Since our job in the Photo Studio is, at the core, documentation, we want to show our artifacts exactly as they are, without that distortion, so to capture these small rooms we needed something more.
Our solution was to use another tool already in our toolbox, the Ricoh Theta 360 camera. This small camera is operated via cellphone and app and uses two fisheye lenses to capture a space. The app control allows us to preview the 360-degree image and remotely trigger the camera (so we can make sure we're out of the shot). The app then stitches together the images to create a full 360-degree interactive image. This is how we were able to capture the interiors of the rooms completely, including the nooks and crannies of these small spaces where our Canon camera simply couldn't reach.
The Theta camera, mounted on a stand, ready to capture the interior of the lounge. See the 360-degree image (and the others we took) here!
We captured all of the rooms (and bathrooms!) this way, with the Theta, as well as with the Canon camera, to make sure everything was thoroughly documented. Though this certainly led us into a few tight spaces….
Jillian and Rudy doing their best to capture the very small main bathroom and shower off the Fair Lane's main hallway…
…and the final images of the bathroom. / THF186274, THF186275
As photographers of the wide variety of artifacts at The Henry Ford, our job is certainly never boring, but when faced with unique requests like the Fair Lane, we get to have a little more fun than usual and really test the limits of our creativity and ingenuity.
I hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at how we photographed Henry Ford's private railcar. Be sure to check out some of the new images on the artifact card below, or click through to our Digital Collections to explore all of the images and 360-degree interiors! And read more about the Fair Lane, its travels, and its history in celebration of its 100th birthday this year.
digitization, digital collections, railroads, Henry Ford Museum, photographs, by Jillian Ferraiuolo, Fair Lane railcar, #Behind The Scenes @ The Henry Ford, photography
The Fair Lane Business Car: Restrained Luxury
Henry Ford's Private Railroad Car "Fair Lane," 1921 / THF186260
Just as many of today's captains of industry and business leaders consider an executive jet to be a crucial part of their tool kit, so in the period prior to widespread air travel was the railroad business car considered an essential amenity. There are two basic categories of business cars, each with their equivalents in the modern world of business jets: the private car (at its most grandiose taking the form of "a palace on wheels"), owned by a wealthy individual or large corporation, and the chartered car, a well-appointed business car available for hire by companies or individuals as needed.
Business cars were attached at the rear of regularly scheduled passenger trains, according to arrangements made ahead of time with railroad companies. While the reliance on existing timetables and the inevitable complexities associated with being switched from one train to another en route might seem cumbersome and time-consuming to us, the opportunity to conduct business on the go, with food to order and a place to sleep, all in fully-staffed, well-appointed surroundings, made sense from a business standpoint: Work was accomplished, decisions were made, and the individuals concerned arrived in a better state than if they had been prey to the pitfalls of the ordinary traveler.
The interior of the Fair Lane, restored by The Henry Ford to as closely as possible resemble its appearance during Henry Ford's ownership, is restrained, given Ford's wealth. / THF186280
This car, Henry Ford's Fair Lane, was one of the largest passenger railcars built when it was completed by Pullman in 1921. It is a private car, and as such reflects the taste of its owner, one of the wealthiest men on Earth. Paradoxically, Ford's restrained taste and sense of occasion (think of the scale and finish of his house, given his wealth) resulted in a car that had more in common with the lower-key chartered cars—vehicles that incorporated the sumptuousness of the boardroom rather than the chairman's own particular taste.
Even more paradoxically, traffic records reveal that the most extensive use to which Fair Lane was put was luxury transportation for Clara Ford and her close friends on shopping trips to New York City.
Explore many more images of the exterior and interior of the Fair Lane, including new 360-degree views of its compartments, in our Digital Collections.
This post is adapted from an educational document from The Henry Ford titled "Transportation: Past, Present, and Future—From the Curators."
travel, railroads, Henry Ford Museum, Henry Ford, Fair Lane railcar
The Allegheny Articulated Steam Locomotive: Technology Pushed to the Limit
Allegheny Steam Locomotive, 1941. / THF17920
Off at the back of the museum's Made in America: Power exhibit is a rangy apparatus—a water pump made mostly of wood, mounted on a granite plinth. Its business end, a clanking group of wrought- and cast-iron components, represents a beginning point for the technology seen in full flower in the Allegheny locomotive in the Railroads exhibit. Institutionally, we are fortunate in having both the world's oldest surviving steam engine and one of the most advanced examples of reciprocating steam technology as applied to railroads.
The Newcomen Engine, circa 1750—the world's oldest surviving steam engine. / THF110472
The importance of the Allegheny locomotive—both institutionally and historically—is hard to overstate. It is both straightforward and paradoxical: an overwhelming machine that has great human appeal; close at hand and yet impossible to fully take in; a blunt instrument of industrial efficiency enshrined on a teakwood floor in an approachable museum setting. In short, it is both plainly stated and chameleon-like—a perfect museum artifact.
Historically, it represents a technology played to the limit of tight physical constraints imposed by a railroad's right-of-way (sharpness of curves, size of adjacent structures, axle loading of track and bridges). The Allegheny represents a masterfully trim packaging of all the components necessary to make an efficient steam locomotive—a technology pushed to a particular limit with spectacular results.
The refinements embodied by the Allegheny were the result of the Lima Locomotive Company's chief mechanical engineer, William Woodard, and his relentless pursuit of "superpower." His success was borne out by designs that demonstrated a 25 to 30 percent increase in efficiency—success that resulted in a steam design revolution that spread to all American locomotive manufacturers.
Learn more about the Allegheny in our What If story and on our Popular Research Topic page, and find out more about the Newcomen Engine and how it came into our collection on our blog.
travel, technology, railroads, power, Henry Ford Museum
The Ingersoll-Rand Diesel-Electric Locomotive: Boxy but Significant
Ingersoll-Rand Number 90 Diesel-Electric Locomotive, 1926 / THF67890
Despite its virtually complete lack of visual charm (not a shred of rugged elegance here; this is the classic "box on wheels"), the Ingersoll-Rand Diesel-Electric Locomotive on display in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is actually one of the most significant items in our railroad collections. This engine was part of a calculated and savvy business move by Ingersoll-Rand (partnering with General Electric and American Locomotive) to produce a new locomotive type to challenge the steam locomotive—a deliberate attempt to break into the massive railroad market using internal combustion technology. While Ingersoll-Rand never really gained a foothold in the field, its venture played a successful part in the practical demonstration of this new form of motive power.
Hindsight suggests certain inevitability in the demise of the steam locomotive—an inflexible and inefficient mechanism compared with the modular, easily deployed workhorse diesel. From a 1920s perspective, however, the diesel had little going for it. Overly complex and unproven, it seemed a minor interloper in an industry with so much invested—both monetarily and intellectually—in what was then a mature and refined technology. Even then, however, there were factors starting to work against the all-pervasive steam locomotive, specifically the mid-1920s moves by New York City and Chicago to ban the use of steam locomotives within their city limits on account of pollution concerns—fertile soil for the growth of alternative technologies.
Ingersoll-Rand's Diesel-Electric Locomotive #90 in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, 1926. Ingersoll-Rand used the locomotive in the railyard at its Phillipsburg plant for some 40 years. Donated to The Henry Ford in 1970, the locomotive received a cosmetic restoration in 1983. / THF271022
There is a touch of David and Goliath about this artifact when viewed in the context of the sheer numbers of steam locomotives then in service. This and other units like it were the unassuming thin end of a wedge that was to revolutionize the railroad scene. In 1925, there was just one diesel to 63,612 steam locomotives in mainline service in the United States; by 1945, there were 3,816 diesels to 38,853 steam locomotives; and by 1960, the final year for steam on Class I railroads here, there were 28,278 diesels to 261 steam locomotives.
Explore our Ingersoll-Rand locomotive and the transition from steam to internal combustion power further here.
technology, railroads, power, Henry Ford Museum
The DT&I Caboose: A Conductor's Home Base
Detroit Toledo & Ironton (DT&I) Railroad Caboose, 1925 / THF80594
Most people imagine the engineer ensconced high in the cab of the powerful locomotive to be the person in charge of the train. But while the engineer might be the most visible of railroad employees, whether at the controls of a lowly freight train or a glamorous express, it was the conductor that the engineer answered to.
The conductor made sure that the train was complete and protected. If in charge of a freight train, the conductor tracked all the material on that train and ensured that each car was securely fastened. If in charge of a passenger train, the conductor made sure that passengers had tickets and that they were in the proper cars. In both instances, the conductors and their staff (brakemen on freight trains; assistant conductors on passenger trains) ensured that the brake systems were functioning correctly and the cars and all hookups were properly coupled. It was the engineer's job to ensure that the movement of the train was trouble-free, but it was the conductor's job to ensure the safety and integrity of the train.
On a freight train, the caboose provided conductors with a base to undertake all their duties. It is ironic that both the lowly caboose and the well-appointed private car should find themselves at the end of the train, because, despite the dissimilarity in their appointments, their function was rather similar: They were both homes away from home and mobile offices. The caboose provided the conductor with a place to do the books, to cook, and, on long stopovers in rail yards, to allow some catch-up on sleep. Along with a stove, bunks, and a desk, the caboose was outfitted with a combination of bay windows and cupola to allow the conductor and brakemen to observe both their own train and others on the line. A huge proportion of the work undertaken on railroads was based on constant and well-informed vigilance—looking for evidence of damage or overheating, making sure that loads hadn't shifted, and ensuring equipment hadn't loosened. Something as simple as an untethered chain or unlocked door could escalate into a life-threatening situation. The caboose was also equipped with a large complement of tools to effect in-service repairs.
Interior of a Railroad Caboose, Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad, February 1926 / THF286542
The "little red caboose" still looms large in the public's imagination, but the caboose was not always red. It all depended on the policy of the owning railroad. Today, the caboose—and the freight conductor—are largely things of the past, superseded by computer monitoring and bookkeeping.
travel, railroads, Henry Ford Museum
The Railroad Snowplow: Brute but Complex
Canadian Pacific Snowplow, 1923 / THF442
Whether they instantly recognize it as a snowplow or simply admire it for its immense curvaceous sculptural presence, visitors of all ages connect readily with The Henry Ford's Canadian Pacific Snowplow, on exhibit in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
Brute force seems to play a large role in many areas of railroading—in sheer pulling power, in machine aesthetics (or lack thereof), or in a variety of equipment assembly operations—but it is the battle with snow that offers the purest example of the use of unmediated force in the world of railroading. Pushed by as many as eight locomotives, hitting drifts at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour, and supported by "pull-out" locomotives, commissary cars, and bunk cars for maybe hundreds of shovel-duty men, snowplows were crucial to railroads whose routes extended into the high passes of the Rocky Mountains or Sierra Nevadas.
Crew seats in the cupola of the Canadian Pacific Snowplow / THF158327
The operation of these heavy but rakish-looking machines was actually quite complex: Crews stationed in the cupola deployed pneumatically powered wings and rail-clearing forward edges according to changing conditions and the proximity of grade crossing timbers or signals; judgment was called for when attacking major drifts. Derailments, loss of life, and damage to equipment could result if crews diverged from tried-and-true strategy.
The snowplow provides evidence of our continuing battle with natural forces and offers a glimpse into one of the most arduous tasks associated with railroading. "Bucking" snow was—and remains—dangerous work, taking place in areas where this struggle could swiftly turn from straightforward railroad difficulties (very few tasks associated with railroading are pleasant) to a life-and-death struggle.
Find out even more about our Canadian Pacific Snowplow here.
winter, travel, railroads, Henry Ford Museum
The Combination Car: Flexible Workhorse
Detroit & Mackinac Railway Combination Car, 1901-1905 / THF80600
Combination cars were designed to carry passengers and baggage/freight. Although many were built for mainline express trains, they were particularly attractive on branch lines or other areas where passenger traffic was light and the need for flexibility was high.
There was no standardized layout for combines—they were made for railroads in many configurations according to specific needs. Many combines were cars that had been modified from earlier cars by their owners—an approach that carries over to virtually all railroad equipment, subject as it was to constant modification, improvement, and improvisation according to the changing needs of the railroad business.
The Detroit & Mackinac Railway combination car pictured above, which you can also see in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, has baggage, parlor, and smoking areas, and might have been converted from a plain baggage/parlor combine.
travel, railroads, Michigan, Henry Ford Museum


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San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Takeaways and Star
By George Middleton
Feb 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan (21) and Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) jostle for position on the baseline during the 2nd half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The San Antonio Spurs (45-9) lost to the Los Angeles Clippers (36-18), 105-86 on Thursday night. Manu Ginobili missed the contest with a groin injury and Kawhi Leonard missed with a left calf injury. The Spurs are 17-9 on the road this season.
San Antonio snapped a six-game win streak with an ugly loss to the Clippers. The Spurs shot 42 percent from the field and committed 16 turnovers. The defense struggled as they allowed the Clippers to shoot 50 percent from the field. San Antonio forced 20 Clippers turnovers but it didn't make a difference at the end of the night. Chris Paul lit the Spurs up for 28 points to go along with 12 assists.
–LaMarcus Aldridge struggled
With Blake Griffin out for the Clippers and Leonard out for the Spurs, one would expect LaMarcus Aldridge to have a big night. Aldridge went for 10 points on 3-of-12 from the field in 25 minutes. To make matters worse, he only had three rebounds. San Antonio was -23 with the 30-year-old on the floor. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute did a great job in defending the star.
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-Bench solid
The Spurs bench did their job on Thursday night. The second unit combined for 48 of the 86 points for the Spurs. David West led the bench with 12 points and four assists in 18 minutes. Patty Mills added nine points and Rasual Butler had eight points.
-Backcourt struggled
Tony Parker's stat line doesn't look bad if you glance at it. Parker had 14 points and four assists in 28 minutes. The problem is that he let Paul go for 28 points and 12 assists. Danny Green struggled going for four points on 2-of-9 shooting.
Star Performer: David West
West was a spark plug off the Spurs bench. The 34-year-old made some big shots when it appeared the Spur were going to come back at one point. On a night when most Spurs struggled, he was the best performer.
–Kyle Anderson had eight points and two steals.
–Tim Duncan went for two points and six rebounds.
-Spurs out-rebounded 54-41.
-4-of-17 from 3-point range.
Next: Top Five 3-Point Shooters in Spurs History